Will Muschamp on Kirby Smart, Bryan McClendon and offense

DESTIN, Fla. — Five years ago, former Georgia player Will Muschamp became a head coach for the first time, taking over a major SEC school. He was fired by Florida less than four years later.

Now Kirby Smart, another former Georgia player and a good friend of Muschamp’s, is becoming a head coach for the first time, taking over at Georgia.

But Muschamp doesn’t feel like he needs to help his old friend out with any advice. And it’s not just because Muschamp is coaching South Carolina, one of Georgia’s division rivals.

“We’ve talked a lot,” Muschamp said. “He doesn’t need any advice from me. He’ll do a good job.”

Muschamp also hired the man who technically preceded Smart: Bryan McClendon, who was Georgia’s interim head coach after Mark Richt left. McClendon coached Georgia to a victory in the TaxSlayer Bowl in his lone game as head coach, then became South Carolina’s co-offensive coordinator.

“Bryan McClendon is a very bright, young guy who really does a great job,” Muschamp said. “Been really impressed with Bryan.”

A Florida beat reporter asked Muschamp what he learned from his Florida days that he hoped to apply to his new job at South Carolina.

“Score points,” Muschamp said, leaving it at that.

Can you expand?

“Make the scoreboard go up,” Muschamp said, smiling.

He did expand a bit later, saying that he did feel strongly that he “changed the culture” at Florida for the better. But Muschamp made clear that he knew what his main falling was in Gainesville, and was taking every precaution to prevent offense from being the problem in Columbia.